“Sinner.”  It’s a word commonly heard with judgment, condemnation, and rejection.  We misunderstand it; maybe church people most of all. When we understand who God is and how God uses it, it is still a painful description of us, but it is also loving, true, and hopeful.  Imagine that there

I didn’t write this. Only once before have I posted someone else’s writing, but this was good. It is so good that it was hard for me to read, especially the first part. She is speaking to me and to my experience. It took me a long time to learn

There is this notion floating around that the God of the Bible is a blood-thirsty rage-aholic whose terrifying wrath can only be held off by the offering of blood.  Blood is the only thing that can pacify this God and throughout the Old Testament people offered Him or Her (but

[This is the second part of a three part series on God’s Forgiveness. Part one is “Did God Forgive People Before Jesus?” and part three is “Jesus’ Death and God’s Forgiveness.”] Does God need blood to forgive people? Of course not! Do you need something to die or bleed for

[This is the beginning of a three part series on God’s Forgiveness. Part two is “Does God Need Blood to Forgive?” and part three is “Jesus’ Death and God’s Forgiveness.”] Did God forgive people, forgive sins, before Jesus? Of course. In case you thought God specifically needed the death of